Question Details

If the angular speed of earth is increased so much that the objects start flying from the equator, then the length of the day will be nearly

Options

A

1.5 hours

B

8 hours

C

18 hours

D

24 hours

Correct Answer :

1.5 hours

Solution :

The correct option is 1.5 hours.

To understand why this is the correct answer, let us derive the length of the day step-by-step using the principles of rotational mechanics and gravitation.

Step 1: Understanding the effective gravity at the equator
The effective acceleration due to gravity ge at the equator of the Earth is affected by the Earth's rotation. It is given by the formula:
ge=g-ω2R
where:
- g is the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Earth without rotation (approximately 9.8m/s2).
- ω is the angular speed of the Earth's rotation.
- R is the radius of the Earth (approximately 6400km=6.4×106m).

Step 2: Condition for objects to start flying off
For objects to start flying off from the equator, they must experience weightlessness. This means the effective acceleration due to gravity at the equator must become zero:
ge=0
Substituting this condition into our formula:
0=g-ω2R
ω2R=g
ω=gR

Step 3: Calculating the new length of the day
The length of the day, which represents the time period T of one full rotation of the Earth, is related to the angular speed ω by the relation:
T=2πω
Substituting the expression for ω:
T=2πRg

Now, let's plug in the standard values:
- R=6.4×106m
- g=9.8m/s2
T=2π6.4×1069.8
T2×3.14×653061.2
T6.28×808.1seconds
T5075seconds

Step 4: Converting seconds into hours
To convert the time period from seconds to hours, we divide by 3600 (since 1 hour = 3600 seconds):
T=50753600hours
T1.41hours
This is approximately equal to 1.5 hours (or more precisely, about 84 minutes).

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